Consumer News: Bad seeds ... really bad

It's another blow for automotive affordability

• Nissan has ended U.S. production of the Versa, long the cheapest new car sold in America.

• The subcompact sedan will not return for the 2026 model year, leaving a higher price floor for new vehicles.

• Its exit underscores the steady disappearance of truly affordable new cars from the U.S. market.

Yet again, the cheapest new car in America is exiting stage left. The Nissan Versa will not see a 2026 model year, with production for the U.S. market officially ending this month.

In a brief statement, Nissan said the decision aligns with its broader product strategy. In line with Nissans product strategy, the Nissan Versa ended production in December 2025 for the U.S. market, the automaker said. Nissan remains committed to offering affordable and stylish vehicles in the sedan segment with models like Sentra and Altima, while also offering strong value in the compact SUV segment with the Kicks, Road & Track reported.

The cheapest new Nissan now costs more than $23,000

At the end of its run, the Versa started at $20,435 with an automatic transmission, the only version still in production after Nissan discontinued the manual earlier this year. With the Versa gone, the least expensive 2026 model-year Nissan will be the Sentra, which starts at $23,845. The subcompact Kicks crossover follows closely at $23,925.

No other new vehicle on sale today comes close to the Versas roughly $20,000 starting price. For the 2026 model year, the title of cheapest new car in America shifts to the Kia K4, which carries a base price of $23,385.

Affordable cars continue to disappear

Perhaps thanks to its bargain positioning, the Versa was selling relatively well earlier this year. Over time, it evolved into a good enough affordable sedan, offering a respectable amount of technology and a driving experience that was no longer the penalty box it once was especially compared with its late-2000s days, when it was famously marketed with a sub-$10,000 price tag.

What its departure highlights most sharply is the continued erosion of affordability in the new-car market. Each year, the cost of entry for a new vehicle with a factory warranty rises, and the loss of the Versa marks another step in the steady retreat of truly low-cost new cars in the United States.

Tesla owners say they've been trapped in the cars and needed help to escape

• U.S. auto safety regulators have opened a new probe into Teslas emergency door releases on certain Model 3 sedans.

• The review follows a petition from a Georgia driver who says he was trapped in a burning vehicle because the manual release was hard to find.

• The action broadens federal scrutiny of Teslas electric door handles after reports of injuries and deaths linked to doors that wouldnt open.

Tesla'sdoor handles are facing renewed scrutiny in the U.S. after federal auto safety regulators opened a probe into the emergency releases in certain Model 3 vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is evaluating claims that the mechanical door release is hidden, unlabeled, and not intuitive to locate during an emergency, according to a filing on the agencys website. The review stems from a petition filed by Kevin Clouse, a Tesla owner in Georgia, who says he was trapped in his vehicle in 2023 and requested a formal defect investigation. NHTSA said it has not yet decided whether to grant or deny the petition, Bloomberg reported.

The probe covers an estimated 179,071 Model 3 sedans from the 2022 model year.

Investigation expands after prior federal scrutiny

The latest move expands on a broader federal examination of Tesla door problems following a months-long investigation by Bloomberg, which documented incidents in which people were severely injured or died after becoming trapped inside Teslas.

In September, NHTSA opened a separate investigation into whether doors are defective in certain Model Y SUVs after reports of children being stuck inside vehicles when the 12-volt battery failed. The Model 3 and Model Y are Teslas top-selling vehicles.

Tesla was an early adopter of electrically powered door handles, which can stop functioning without warning particularly after a crash. A Bloomberg analysis published this week identified at least 15 deaths in a dozen incidents over the past decade in which occupants or rescuers were unable to open the doors of Teslas that had crashed and caught fire.

Bloomberg has also reported that potential safety concerns about electric door handles were raised with Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk during development of the Model 3, but that Musk pushed ahead with the futuristic design, relying on manual releases to address power-loss scenarios.

Owner describes escape from burning vehicle

Clouse filed his petition last month, citing a 2023 incident in which he says he had to kick his way out of his burning Model 3 when the doors would not open. Bloomberg previously reported details of his case.

I was unaware of the location of the hidden mechanical emergency door release because it is not visibly labeled, not explained upon delivery, and not intuitive in an emergency, Clouse wrote in a complaint filed with NHTSA. I was forced to climb to the back seat and break the rear passenger window with my legs to escape while the interior was burning.

Shrimp, oysters, kielbasa among today's active recalls

Here aretodays top U.S. food recall/outbreak alerts. Some have been published earlier and are still in effect.

Frozen Raw Shrimp (Market32 & Waterfront Bistro) Possible Radioactive (Cesium137) Contamination

• Product:~83,800 bags of frozen raw shrimp sold underMarket32andWaterfront Bistrobrands.

• Hazard:Potentialcesium137 radioactive contaminationthat may raise longterm cancer risk.

• Affected States/Retailers:Sold across ~17 states including NY, CT, IL, CO, NV at retailers like Price Chopper, JewelOsco, Safeway, Albertsons.

• Illnesses/Injuries:No illnesseslinked to the recall; avoid consumption.

• Full notice:FDA recall listing https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts(U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Raw Oysters 64 Sick Across ~2122 States

• Product:Raw oysters suspected in a multistateSalmonellaoutbreak (raw seafood consumption).

• Hazard:Salmonella bacteria causing gastrointestinal illness.

• Affected States/Retailers:At least 64 cases reported in~2122 statesincluding NY, PA, CA, TX, FL; source tracing ongoing.

• Illnesses/Injuries:64 illnesseswith~20 hospitalizationsreported; outbreak under CDC investigation.

• Full notice:CDC outbreak overview https://www.cdc.gov/foodborne-outbreaks/outbreaks/index.html(CDC)

Olympia Provisions Uncured Holiday Kielbasa Metal Foreign Material

• Product:Olympia Provisions Uncured Holiday Kielbasareadytoeat sausage (~1,930lbs).

• Hazard:Foreignmetal fragmentscontamination.

• Affected States/Retailers:Distributed inCA, OR, WAandonline nationwide.

• Illnesses/Injuries:No confirmed injuriesreported; product should not be consumed.

• Full notice:USDAFSIS recall & alerts https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/alerts(FSIS)

Celebration Herbals Senna Leaf Herbal Tea Salmonella Contamination

• Product:Celebration Herbals Senna Leaf Herbal Tea(24bag packages; UPC 628240201829, Lot 251004, BestBy 10/29/2028).

• Hazard:PotentialSalmonellacontamination.

• Affected States/Retailers:Distributed inFL, IN, MA, MI, MS, NY, WI & Puerto Rico.

• Illnesses/Injuries:No illnesses reportedto date, but Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea, cramps.

• Full notice:FDA recalls database https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts(thehealthy.com)

Cheddar Cheese (Charlevoix) Possible Listeria Contamination

• Product:Lot ofcheddar cheesefrom Charlevoix Cheese Company (Boss Dairy Farms).

• Hazard:PotentialListeria monocytogenescontamination.

• Affected States/Retailers:Sold inMichiganretail outlets.

• Illnesses/Injuries:No illnesses reported; Listeria infection risk is serious for vulnerable groups.

• Full notice:FDA recall listing https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts(Health)

Monitoring sources:
FDA Recalls https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts(U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
USDAFSIS Recalls & Alerts https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/alerts(FSIS)
CDC Outbreaks https://www.cdc.gov/foodborne-outbreaks/outbreaks/index.html(CDC)

The glow can be a sign of a serious eye condition

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• A holiday photo could reveal a hidden medical emergency. An unusual white or yellow reflection in a childs eye may be an early warning sign of serious eye disease.

• The condition, known as the glow, is often first spotted by parentsnot doctors. Flash photography in dim lighting makes the holidays a prime time for accidental discoveries.

• Early detection can save sight, eyes, and lives. Experts urge families to review their seasonal photos carefully and seek prompt care if they notice anything unusual.

As families gather this season to capture memories around twinkling lights and festive tables, a simple photograph could reveal something far more important than a perfect smile: a medical emergency hiding in plain sight.

Pediatric ophthalmologists refer to the phenomenon as the glow, a white, yellow, or opaque reflection that appears in a childs pupil in flash photography. While its easy to dismiss as a camera glitch and swipe past, that bright spot can be a critical clue to serious eye conditions, including retinoblastomaa rare childhood cancer that can be fatal if left untreated.

Thats why the American Academy of Ophthalmology is urging parents to take a closer look at their holiday pictures. In many cases, a parent or relative is the first to notice the abnormal reflection. These conditions are rarely caught during routine well-child visits, even though early detection is crucial.

20 different eye disorders

Medically known as leukocoria, the glow can signal more than 20 different eye disorders. Among them are retinoblastoma, Coats disease, retinal detachment, cataracts, infections that form granulomas, persistent fetal vasculature, and even severe differences in vision between the eyes that may require corrective lenses.

The holiday season creates almost perfect conditions for spotting the glow. Families take more photos, lighting is often dim, flash is commonly used, and children are photographed repeatedly from different angles by multiple peopleall factors that increase the chance of capturing the telltale reflection.

Parents are advised to look specifically for a white, yellow, or cloudy spot in the pupil, not the familiar red-eye effect, which is normal. The glow may appear when a child is looking slightly away from the camera, but the most concerning cases occur when the child is looking directly at it. Using flash and turning off red-eye reduction can make the reflection easier to spot.

When to be concerned

Seeing the glow once doesnt automatically mean something is wrong; sometimes its simply light reflecting off the optic nerve. But if it appears more than once in the same eye, experts recommend bringing those photos to an eye care professionaleither an optometrist or an ophthalmologistand asking for a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

Doctors say the end of the year often brings a spike in these accidental diagnoses. Jesse L. Berry, MD, director of the Ocular Oncology and Retinoblastoma Program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and a professor of ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, sees an increase in cases in late December and early January, when parents review photos from Christmas morning or New Years celebrations.

It can be vision-saving, eye-saving, and life-saving, Berry said. The earlier it is picked up, the easier it is for us to treat these tumors and to save the eyes and the vision.

Awareness efforts have grown in recent years, including Know the Glow, an international campaign founded by Megan Webber after her childs eye disease was first detected in a family photograph. Advocates hope that as more parents learn what to look for, a quick glance through holiday photos could make all the difference.

The company vows to appeal, calling the verdict fundamentally flawed

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• A jury returned a record-setting $15 billion verdict against Johnson & Johnson over claims tied to its talc-based baby powder.

• Plaintiffs argued the company failed to adequately warn consumers about cancer risks allegedly linked to long-term use of the product.

• Johnson & Johnson said it plans to appeal the decision, calling the verdict unsupported by science and evidence.

In one of the largest product-liability verdicts in U.S. history, a jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $15 billion in damages to plaintiffs who alleged that the companys talc-based baby powder caused cancer after years of regular use.

The verdict, delivered after a lengthy trial, marks a dramatic escalation in the long-running legal battle over talc products and their alleged links to ovarian cancer and other illnesses. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said the award reflects years of corporate misconduct and a failure to protect consumers from known risks.

Jurors heard testimony from medical experts and internal company documents that plaintiffs said showed Johnson & Johnson was aware of potential dangers associated with talc but continued to market the products as safe.

Johnson & Johnson has consistently denied those claims. In a statement released after the verdict, the company said the decision was fundamentally flawed and vowed to challenge it in court.

Decades of independent scientific studies confirm that talc does not cause cancer, the company said. This verdict contradicts the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and will not stand on appeal.

Broad wave of litigation

The case is part of a broader wave of litigation that has dogged the healthcare conglomerate for years. Tens of thousands of lawsuits nationwide have alleged harm from talc products, prompting Johnson & Johnson to stop selling its talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada in 2020, and later globally.

Legal experts say the size of the verdict could have far-reaching implications, both for Johnson & Johnsons litigation strategy and for other companies facing mass tort claims.

Investors reacted cautiously, with Johnson & Johnson shares slipping in early trading as markets digested the news. Analysts noted that while the company has previously succeeded in reducing or overturning large talc verdicts on appeal, the sheer scale of the award raises new questions about potential financial exposure.